Neutral Jing
by The Bookemist
Summary: This is the tale of Iroh, from childhood to teenage years. Iroh is one of my favorite characters, and this story is a way of exploring why he is the way he is. Expect Yan Rha, Pai Sho, tea, dragons and more to feature prominently. Review and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Lotus Buds

Neutral Jing

Book One: Ember

Chapter One: Lotus Buds

Young, twelve year old Iroh, crown prince of the Fire Nation, stirred impatiently in his seat. His tutor, Mako, was teaching him the history of The Fire Nation military, but Iroh was bored and longed to actually practice his bending instead of sitting in a stuffy room. As he listened to Mako drone on, Iroh daydreamed of blasting a hole in the ceiling with a fire blast. He imagined the look on Mako's face and struggled to stay composed.

Mako had now been teaching Iroh for five years, since he was seven. He taught him everything from language, to history, to military strategy, to Fire Bending techniques. Iroh's father, Fire Lord Azulon, was often busy and preoccupied running the war, and so Mako tried to fill in the role of father for him.

To do this for someone as independent and strong-willed as Iroh was not always easy.

Mako noted his student's boredom and smiled to himself. Iroh was a very quick learner, but even Mako himself occasionally drifted off when reading these textbooks. On top of being boring, they were totally inaccurate. They had just started to call the Air Nomads the Air Nation to make their deaths seem less like genocide. Mako thought this disgraceful.

Mako had had enough teaching from the inaccurate, propaganda filled textbook. He thought to himself _I'll teach Iroh something that's actually damn useful, not this garbage. _He said, "I think that is it with the history, for today, my Prince." Iroh grinned at this.

His smile quickly vanished, though, when Mako said, "I am going to teach you a very ancient art. Many call it a game, but it is truly a test of mental skill and endurance. You will learn to play it well, as befits a prince."

Iroh was already bored again, but he knew better than to argue with his wise old tutor. "Yessir. I do have a question though. What is this game- I mean test- called?"

Mako said, "You can call it Pai Sho."

"The first thing to understand about Pai Sho," said Mako as he dragged over an old Pai Sho board and two sets of playing pieces, "is that it is a game of balance. Brute aggression and power is not enough to win. You must keep your tiles on both sides of the boards, so your opponent cannot exploit your weak spots." Iroh nodded.

"Now," Mako continued, "I believe you are familiar with the concept of Jing from our lessons?"

"Yes. There are three kinds of Jing. There is positive Jing when you are attacking, negative Jing when you are retreating, and neutral Jing when you just wait."

"Very good memory, Iroh! Although, to be precise, there are 85 different kinds of Jing, but only those three are important for now. Anyway, which type of Jing do you think is most important when playing Pai Sho?"

Iroh thought for a minute and then asked, "A balance of all three?"

Mako nodded, "Yes. You see there are four different kinds of pieces in Pai Sho, and sixteen pieces overall. The five fire pieces represent positive Jing, and are used to attack. They are fundamental for winning, but many players overemphasize their importance. Equally important are the five air pieces, which represent negative Jing, and are used to defend against the Fire pieces. There are also five water tiles. These tiles represent both positive and negative Jing. While they are not as effective at attacking as the Fire tiles, nor as effective at defending as the Air tiles, the five Water Tiles are the most versatile pieces in the art of Pai Sho. Understand?"

Iroh said, "Yes master, I think I do. But I think you made a mistake. You said there are sixteen tiles, but you only listed fifteen."

Mako replied, "I made no mistake, young prince. The final piece is the most important of all. It is the White Lotus tile. It represents Earth Bending, and neutral Jing. Many people think neutral Jing Is unimportant, but it is a key part to any fighting technique, including Fire Bending."

"How can neutral Jing be the most important?" asked Iroh. "Isn't it just doing nothing? It seems like in Fire bending, at least, positive Jing is the most useful by far. Isn't neutral Jing more of an Earth Bender thing?"

Suddenly the candles lighting the room flared up, as Mako bended them with rage. "No, Iroh! No! Neutral Jing is not just for Earth Benders. If you are to effectively lead this nation one day, you must know the importance of neutral Jing."

Iroh was shocked by Mako's anger, as his tutor was usually a very calm, kind old man. He asked quietly, "Can you please tell me why it is important, Master?"

"No. This you must learn for yourself. Think for the next few days about the importance of neutral Jing. You may come back to class once you have figured it out. Dismissed."

Iroh bowed and exited the room, thinking hard to himself. _What possible advantage could there be in doing nothing in a fight?_

Fire Lady Ilah, Iroh's mother saw him jogging down the corridor with a troubled look on his face. She asked, "Iroh! What is wrong?"

Iroh answered truthfully, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to not do."

**I hope you enjoyed Chapter One. I've revised it with the help of user Lilako. Continue reading, it only goes downhill from here. I mean uphill. ? Downhill would mean easier and softer on the one hand, but on the other hand it would mean decreasing in quality. Uphill I guess. Either way, it only gets better **

**To un-digress, please review and continue on to Chapter 2.**


	2. Chapter 2: Ali

Neutral Jing

Book One: Ember

Chapter Two: Ali

To any casual observer, the young boy walking quickly through the streets of the Fire Nation capital could have been anyone. His clothes were high quality, but casual. He had no one following him. But the boy was not just anyone. He was Prince Iroh. And while to a casual observer he might have been focused on simply running an errand and walking, his mind was elsewhere. He was very frustrated. His royal tutor, Mako, had asked him to figure out the importance of neutral Jing. But no matter how hard Iroh tried, he could not understand the importance of seemingly doing nothing and waiting for your enemy to destroy you. Could it be something about peaceful noncompliance? Iroh didn't think so. Could it be about . . . resting a bit before fighting to maintain energy? No, that was stupid.

Twelve year old Iroh's concentration was so deep that it actually took him a few seconds to orient himself after he barreled into somebody else who was walking. It was a tall, arrogant looking fourteen year old boy. He was walking with three of his friends, two boys and one girl. "Watch where you're going, trash!" the boy said.

Iroh almost said that as he was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, the boy should be careful about whom he calls trash, but he didn't. He wanted to know how people would treat him if they didn't know who he was. Iroh had never had many friends. He did not have any siblings, and the other noble children felt intimidated by his title. In fact, sadly, his best friend was probably his tutor. And while Iroh loved and respected Mako, he wanted to get some friends his own age, on his own merits. So he merely said, "I'm sorry. What's your name? I'm Lee."

"Why should we tell some little midget boy our names? You probably still need help wiping your ass," said the large boy again. Although Iroh knew he should be angry at this insult, all he could think of was; _Still? I don't think anyone has ever wiped my ass. Unless he's talking about when I was a baby?_ Iroh could respect a healthy, cunning insult, but stupid ones annoyed him

Iroh replied, "I suppose you speak from experience." The large boy and his two friends scowled at this, but the girl, who seemed to be thirteen, smiled.

She said, "I'm Ali. Those two boys," she pointed to the ones who had not yet spoken, "are my brother Han and his friend Lu Fo. And the big jerk over there is Yan Rha."

Yan Rha, however, did not get mad at this. He just said, "I know you like me on the inside. Admit it."

She snorted and said, "As if! Han, go home. I'll be right there." She then gestured to Iroh to follow her. He did so, thinking that things had certainly taken a turn for the interesting.

After they had walked a block or so she said, "I'm sorry Yan Rha was so mean to you. I just hang out with him because my mother says I have to spend time with my brother, and he worships Yan Rha."

"It's alright," Iroh replied. "Yan Rha seems to like you, though."

"I know," she said. "I wish he wouldn't, though. Yan Rha's father is a Captain in the Fire Navy, so he thinks that he's a big deal. He's just a jerk, though." Iroh grinned at this, thinking that Yan Rha would not think himself such a big deal if he knew who Iroh's father was.

Ali asked, "What's so funny, Lee?"

"Nothing at all."

"Anyway, you're probably wondering why I asked you to come out here."

Iroh said, "I figure if I say nothing I'll get the answer eventually."

Ali smiled and said, "You will. Tonight Yan Rha is dragging my brother and Lu Fo to the mudslides. Do you know what they are?"

Of course Iroh did! The mudslides, officially known as the Great Burning Tunnels of Sozin, were giant slides carved into the ground by warm water and erosion. Although the slides were only about a mile from the palace, his father Azulon had never allowed him on them, as they were dangerous. Iroh thought this a bit ridiculous, as his father often encouraged him to try to jump off (very low) roofs in the hope that he could use Fire Bending jet propulsion to carry him a few feet.

Iroh said said, "Of course I do! I've never been on them, though. Have you?"

"Nope. But I'm going tonight. Will you come?"

"I wish I could. But I don't think I'm allowed."

Ali rolled her eyes, "Do you think I am? Look, meet me, Yan Rha, my brother, and Lu Fo here at midnight. Just sneak out of your house."

"I don't think Yan Rha would like that."

"Why do you care what Yan Rha would like? Don't make me go alone."

Iroh said, "I would never. I'm in."

Ali smiled and said, "See you tonight then." Ali then walked off, leaving Iroh a bit bemused and worried.

At least he knew he should feel bemused and worried. In fact, on the way back to the palace he whistled a little bit and walked light on his feet.

**I hope you liked Chapter Two. This chapter is a setup to chapters three and four, and is used to introduce the supporting cast of characters. Enjoy, and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3: The 18th Division

Neutral Jing

Book One: Ember

Chapter Three: The 18th Division

Iroh quietly crept out of his room, in the East Wing of the Royal Palace. He needed to get to the southern exit, so he could get into the rest of the Capital and meet his newly found friends. Unfortunately, doing that was a lot harder than it sounds.

First, he had to take only back hallways and musty corridors. Although it was midnight, between guards on the nightshift, servants cleaning, and the odd sleepwalker, the Fire Nation Palace never truly slept. However, no one bothered Iroh, and he made it out of the East Wing of the palace.

The next hard part involved walking straight in front of the room where his father, Fire Lord Azulon, slept. He tiptoed to almost past the door, but dived into a dark corner when he heard voices coming from the room. He slowly went back and put his eye up against a crack in the door. It was his father and many of his top generals, having a meeting. But why at midnight?

"The rebels in Garsai have kidnapped most of the 18th division, Lord. They are threatening to execute them unless we withdraw from their city. What shall we do?" said one of the generals.

"What are your opinions?" asked Azulon.

The generals all spoke at once. One thought that they must concede to the rebel's demands, and retake the city another day, as a rescue operation would risk the division's lives. Another general thought that to concede was a sign of cowardice, and that they must sacrifice the 18th division. Yet another General thought that they should storm the palace and try to rescue the troops, as to let them die without fighting for them would be a huge blow to the Army's morale."

Azulon stroked his chin, "I agree with all of you. We can always retake the city another day, but to concede might be taken as a sign of weakness. However, if we let the troops die without fighting, the other divisions will be outraged. Gentlemen, I see only one solution. General Kuzon, how many war prisoners do we have in total?"

General Kuzon, the one who had been in favor of surrendering the city to save the division's lives, was a bit startled at the sudden change of conversation. "Um, uh, about two thousand, sir. About two thirds of those are from the Earth Kingdom."

"And how many men are in the 18th division?"

"About five hundred before the Battle Of Garsai. After the Battle and their capture, probably more like four hundred and fifty."

"Well, then, let's take our morale problem and throw it back at the rebels," said Azulon. "Send a message to the Earth Kingdom rebels. Tell them that if they do not release the 18th division by the time a week has passed, we will execute every war prisoner we have. Furthermore, our policy from then on will be to take no prisoners. If they do not release our division, their soldiers will think that they value the lives of five hundred enemies more than two thousand of their own."

"But, sir!" objected Kuzon. "Those prisoners surrendered peacefully. To kill them would be a crime."

The other generals gasped at this disrespect, but Azulon did not flare up. He just said, "I firmly believe that the rebels will release the 18th division, and the crime will not be necessary. Believe me; I do not want to be forced to do it. But if they do not release them, we will do what must be done."

"Yes, sir," said Kuzon. The generals stood and prepared to leave. Iroh, realizing that he had wasted time by listening in, quickly sprinted away down the hallway, heading for the southern exit.

Once he reached it and exited the palace, he ran even faster, but he started to think. _My father is. . . a strong leader. He would never kill people without reason. Still, he will kill people without a very good reason. Then again, what better choice could Azulon have made? The Earth Kingdom will probably release the 18th division, and then everyone will think my father a hero for rescuing them, and I will agree. But if they don't release them. . ._

Iroh finally reached the street where Ali had said she would meet him. She was not there, though. The only people who were there were Yan Rha and Lu Fo.

"What took you so long?" Yan Rha hissed.

Iroh panted, "Sorry. I got held up. Are we going now?"

Lu Fo said, "Nope. Ali and Han are even later than you are. We'll wait for them."

Iroh nodded, so they all stood there in silence on the dark street for what seemed like hours but was only minutes, waiting for the others to arrive. Yan Rha suddenly broke the silence by saying, "Look, Lee. I don't know what Ali told you but get this." He leaned in very close to Iroh. "Ali is gonna be my girlfriend. She really likes me, she just acts like she doesn't."

"Of course," said Iroh. "If she acted like she liked you, it would probably mean she hated you."

"Shut up, smart mouth! We're only taking you along because Ali feels bad for you. So keep quiet."

"You're the one who broke the silence."

"You're a little cave hopper who's gonna get squashed," said Yan Rha.

"You're crazy, and you need to go down," said Iroh.

They glowered at each for a minute until Lu Fo said, "Look, Ali and Han are here!" And so they were, finally, coming out of an alleyway. The group was fully assembled.

They all began to babble at once, but Iroh said, "Shh! There are night guards all around the palace. If you have to talk, whisper. I don't know about you, but I don't fancy getting caught."

But for some reason, after that, no one felt much like talking, even in whispers. So the group of four, friends by circumstance only, passed the long walk in silence.

**Thanks for reading, folks. Chapter Three was supposed to take place at the mudslides, but the chapter had a mind of its own. Read on to Chapter Four for the mudslides adventure. Enjoy! Review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Mudslides

Neutral Jing

Book One: Ember

Chapter Four: Mudslides

The group of five had been walking in stony silence for quite some time before they finally reached their destination. The silence was awkward, but no one dared breach it. Instead, they merely walked quickly, with their heads down, until the four young teens finally reached their destination: The Mudslides.

The Mudslides, formally known as the Great Burning Tunnels of Sozin, were long ditches that fell down the side of a large hill. In times before the War, when travel between the Four Nations was still open, people used to compare going down the slides to riding down the delivery system in Ba Sing Se. Unfortunately, the mudslides were even more treacherous. Because the slides are naturally carved, they erode away, often leaving dead ends, or catapulting someone off of the side of the hill. The only truly safe way is to somehow find a slide that carries you all the way to the bottom, where there is a small lake to break your fall. Still, people came from far and wide for the thrill of sliding down them.

"Well, we're here," said Iroh. He badly wanted to impress Ali, so he strode bravely to the top of the hill. What he saw made him gulp. Very few of the tunnels were visible all the way down, so it was impossible to make more than an educated guess about which were safe to ride.

"Hey, pipsqueak," said Yan Rha, "you gonna slide down or are we gonna stand here all day?"

Iroh just held up a hand and thought some more. The hills were carved by rain water. The rain water carried dirt and debris with it, which clogged up most of the slides. But which ones?

It hit Iroh like a fire blast to the chest. The hill slanted to the right. All rain water and debris that came into the right side would stay there. But most of the rain and debris that fell into the far left side of the hill would wash back down and out, because of gravity. Everybody thought the left side of the hill was more dangerous because it was higher up. Actually, it was the safest, because there was a good chance that there would be nothing to block a clean ride to the bottom.

Iroh smiled and said, "Actually, Yan Rha, lets make it a bit more interesting. We both race down the hill. Whoever comes out at the bottom first wins. I'll ride the slide on the far left and you'll ride the one on the far right."

Yan Rha considered this for a second and said, "Deal." They both walked up to their respective slides. As Iroh looked down at the very highest slide on the hill, he thought that maybe he had made a grave mistake. There was no **way** that this was the safest ride down. He desperately wanted to quit. He would have too, but Ali was watching, and besides, there was no way he was gonna let Yan Rha beat him. So Iroh grasped the sides of the ditch and prepares to plunge downhill.

Then Han said, "On your mark. Get set. Go!" Yan Rha had actually started sliding far too early, as soon as Han said, "Get" but that was the least of Iroh's worries now.

The ditch was very slick and wet, and there was little friction to slow him down. Iroh felt like he was moving as fast as light as he whizzed down the side of the hill. He looked in front of him and saw the lake approaching, fast. Before the lake, though, there was a tiny little obstacle- a small log. Iroh had been right about there being a very good chance of there being no obstacles on the left side- but there was just one, and one would be enough to stop him. In desperation, Iroh let out the most powerful fire kick he could, and to his amazement, he incinerated the log. He shouted, "Woo-hoo!" Then the slide ended and he plunged into the muddy lake.

He climbed out of the lake, exhausted but happy. He quickly looked around to see if Yan Rha had beaten him- and almost laughed aloud. Yan Rha had not gone more than fifteen feet before an impassable wall of mud and logs had stopped him. He was now climbing down the hill on his feet, on the part with no slides. Ali and Han had taken slides towards the middle, but had been lucky, and they were also plunged into the lake. Lu Fo had taken a slide on the right, but when he saw his path blocked by debris he quickly jumped into the slide next to him. Amazingly, he too had made it down.

The three children all climbed out of the lake and started laughing. They had done it! They had gone down the mudslides and came out no worse for wear. Ali hugged Iroh. Iroh thought that this was the greatest moment of his life.

But it couldn't last. By this time, Yan Rha had stumbled down the side of the hill. He started screaming, "That wasn't fair! You set me up. You knew that the slide I took was a dead end."

"My slide was a dead end too. I just fire bended the debris away."

"You can't fire bend, that's cheating," cried Yan Rha. "You're just a cheater who got lucky." At this, Yan Rha started shooting fire balls at him. Iroh, who had faced far better opponents, deflected them with ease but did not fire back.

"Thanks for heating me up. I do feel a slight chill after plunging into the lake," taunted Iroh.

Yan Rha screamed and launched himself at the smaller boy, determined to beat him up without the help of bending, but with his fists. Iroh braced himself for the impact, bur never felt it.

Han and Lu Fo had grabbed Yan Rha by the shoulders and forced him onto the ground. Lu Fo yelled, "No you don't! If the kid's more skilled at you with Fire Bending, just accept that! Don't try to pummel a kid half your size." Lu Fo shoved him into the ground.

Yan Rha said, "What the hell is wrong with you. I'm your friend!"

Han said, "No, you're not. You're just a bully. All you want to talk about is how great you are, and how everybody else sucks. You're a loser."

Yan Rha slowly stood up and backed away, "Ali?"

"You think I act like I don't like you because I actually do? You're wrong. I just don't like you."

"Fine," said Yan Rha, "I get it. I'll leave." Yan Rha turned to walk away. Suddenly, though, he turned back and fired a stream of fire at Ali.

Iroh jumped in front of her, blocked it, and sent it back at Yan Rha. "You filthy coward," he yelled, "You know she can't bend! How was she supposed to block that?"

Yan Rha's arms and legs had small burns from Iroh's attack. They would heal completely in a couple of weeks. Still, from the way he acted you would have thought he had been shoved into a volcano. He howled, and quickly ran away, up the hill, presumably to head back home.

For a few minutes, the four friends stood in total silence. All of a sudden, though, Ali started cheering, and Han and Lu Fo quickly joined in. They chanted, "Lee! Lee! Lee!"

When they were done, the whole group walked back up the side of the hill, eagerly recounting tales of the night. While but a few hours they had been acquaintances, now they were fast friends. There are some things you can't go through together without ending up liking each other, and taking out a fourteen year old bully together is one of them.

Han, Lu Fo, and Iroh were excitedly recounting how Lu Fo had brilliantly changed his slide to avoid debris, and how Yan Rha had been too slow to do this himself when Ali held up a hand. They all quieted. Ali said, "Your name isn't really Lee, is it, Lee?"

His heart pounded, but he struggled to remain calm and said, "What would make you say that?"

"Whenever someone calls you that, you hesitate a little before you answer, like you've forgotten your name. I don't think you're stupid enough to do that, so what's your real name?"

A couple of hours ago, he wouldn't have admitted anything. He would have came up with a real name, a bad excuse for lying about it, and made an effort to not hesitate anymore. But now, after taking down Yan Rha together, after becoming friends; he couldn't lie. "My name is Iroh."

Han said, "That's cool. It's like the Prince's name."

Iroh replied, "Yes. Exactly like." It took a few seconds for the other three to realize what he meant by that. When they did, he saw them think about whether or not it was possible.

So he said, "Its true. Lu Fo, when I met you guys, I came from the direction of the South Exit of the palace. I was late because I was eavesdropping on my father."

Ali looked dumbstruck and said, "Fire Lord Azulon."

"Yes. Look, I hope you guys don't treat me any differently now that I've told you."

The other three looked at each other as if Iroh was crazy. Han said, "Treat you any differently, Iroh? Of course we will! You're crown prince of the Fire Nation. You have total access to the palace, and everybody in the city will let you anywhere and not ask questions if you tell them who you are. Think of all the trouble we can get into!"

Iroh grinned, "I think I could handle that."

…

They walked back to the city as friends, amiably chatting. Han, Ali, and Lu Fo all wanted to know about his life as Prince, so he opened up. It felt good to finally have somebody to talk to. He told them about his tutor, about his fire bending lessons, about the stuffy formal state dinners he had to attend, and above all, he talked about his father, the legendary Azulon. He almost told them about the 18th division, but decided that would be violating his father's trust. Even though his father hadn't really entrusted him with the information yet.

Once they reached the city, Lu Fo said goodbye and quickly left, after saying that they should meet tomorrow at noon at the same street. Han and Ali prepared to leave but before they did, Ali whispered in Iroh's ear, "Don't go home yet. I'll meet you back here in five minutes." She then took off with her brother.

When she returned five minutes later without Han, Iroh looked at her quizzically. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I need to do something without Han watching."

"What would that be?"

"This." And she leaned in and kissed Iroh slowly. Although it only lasted a few seconds, to them it was the most memorable part of the night. When they came apart, they both simultaneously said, "Thanks."

They both giggled a bit at that. Finally, Ali said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Iroh," and finally left for good.

As Iroh slowly walked back to the Palace and into bed, he knew that he should be quiet to avoid detection, as it was now very early morning. Still, he could not stop himself from whistling a little jaunt, the tune of which came to him naturally.

**I hope you liked Chapter Four! Believe it or not, at the end of Avatar, Yan Rha is 66 and Iroh is 64. It is totally plausible that they both lived in the Fire Nation Capital when Iroh was twelve and Yan Rha was fourteen. Plus, it's comforting to know that Yan Rha was always a bully and a coward.**

**Please review! The more I write this story, the more it intrigues me. Expect it to last for at least twenty chapters. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5: Stubborn as Stone

Neutral Jing

Book One: Ember

Chapter Five: Stubborn As Stone

He had scarcely slept for three hours when Iroh awoke and headed for his tutor's room. The events of last night had been so amazing, that he did not dwell on them, for he was afraid that if he did, they would turn out to be a dream. One thing from last night that he did dwell on, however, was his discovery of the importance of Neutral Jing.

When Iroh reached Mako's room, he knocked twice and waited. When the door opened, Mako said, "Ah, Iroh. Returning to your lessons, I see?" Iroh nodded. "Well then, come in, come in. Mako gestured to Iroh to sit at the table that had a Pai Sho board on it.

"So, Iroh. You have been absent from my lessons for a few days. Tell me what you have learnt during that time."

"Neutral Jing isn't doing nothing. It's about looking before you leap. If you blindly attack an opponent before sizing him up you have a very small chance of winning. If you take a few seconds, wait for him to make the first move, and then exploit his weaknesses, you have the upper hand. Neutral Jing is about gathering information, and using that information to determine your next move."

Mako nodded and said, "Go on."

Go on? Wasn't that enough for two days? Still, Iroh had started to warm to the discussion, "Well, neutral Jing isn't always the best way to go. You can't always know that you are stronger than your opponent. If you only commit to fighting once you know you are stronger than your enemy, you're just asking for a weaker opponent to take advantage of your hesitancy and strike you down. Sometimes you have to commit to battle blindly, and take all of the advantages you can as they come."

Mako said, "Very good, Iroh. Yet I have one final question on this subject. How does this relate to the start of the War?"

Iroh thought for a second, but then realized that he didn't need to think too hard. The answer was obvious. "Sozin's Comet. Fire Lord Sozin used both Neutral Jing and Positive Jing. He waited until Avatar Roku was dead and Sozin's Comet arrived, to make sure he had the advantage. But he also wasn't afraid to fight three other nations at once after the comet had left, so in a way he had no way of knowing if he would win. He risked everything, but he waited for a time to do it when he would be most likely to succeed."

"You have learnt much, Iroh. Believe it or not, Pai Sho is in many ways a model of the world as it is right now. In both, there are two opposing sides, trying to use many different means to achieve victory. I hope that when you become Fire Lord and rule our nation, you will wait and think before making hasty decisions, and treat your opponent with honor, just as you must do in Pai Sho. Now, let us play."

…

It soon became apparent that despite all that Iroh had learnt, he was not going to beat Mako any time soon. His use of the White Lotus tile confounded Iroh. If Iroh tried to attack, Mako would use the White Lotus tile to slow down the attack, and then launch a devastating counterattack. If Iroh was on the defensive, Mako would use his White Lotus tile to draw away Iroh's defending pieces, and then destroy the Fire Pieces that were left unprotected.

After losing for a fourth time, Iroh had had enough. "Why can't I get it right?" he snapped.

"Patience, Iroh. I have been playing Pai Sho for decades, far before you were born. You can hardly expect to beat me after four tries. For a beginner you have played exceptionally. I believe that you are a natural." Iroh beamed with the praise, and Mako continued, "You are dismissed for now. Go enjoy yourself, but return by the evening so I may teach you a new fire bending technique." Iroh bowed and left the room.

As he speedily fast-walked through the corridor, to try to reach his friends in the city, he saw his father exiting the gate, flanked by guards on both sides. That was rather odd. Usually, when his father had meetings the people would come to him. He stood there confused for a second until he heard a voice. "Iroh, what are you doing?" It was his mother Fire Lady Ilah.

"Where is Father going?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about, darling. He's inspecting the local prison, and then he's going to take a short trip to the Boiling Rock," said Ilah.

Oh, that was routine. His father often inspected the local prison, and he took a yearly trip to the Boiling Rock. Yet something still nagged at Iroh. All of a sudden, without any real evidence, he knew, "Mother, does this have anything to do with the 18th division."

Ilah's eyes turned wide with fear for a brief second, but then she calmed. She did not ask Iroh what he knew. She merely said, "I hope not, son. I hope not." She then walked back inside, leaving Iroh to continue his run to his friends, but with much less joy than before.

He sprinted all the way there. He had a plan, but it would only work if he acted fast. He quickly reached his friends standing in the middle of the street. Their eyes lit up when they saw him. Lu Fo said, "What took you so long, Iroh?"

He stood panting there for a second, and then looked up at them. He had just met them, just became their friend. Was it really right of him to drag them into this?

Ali concernedly asked, "Iroh? What's wrong?"

Han said, "You can tell us. We'll help." And Iroh knew then that he could rely on them.

He told them the whole story of what he had overheard last night about the 18th division, and what he had overheard just now. It saddened him to see that they were not at all surprised when he told them about his father's cruelty. Azulon was not an evil man. He just did what he thought needed to be done, no matter how harsh.

Iroh finally finished telling the tale and said, "So, my father's heading to the prison right now. We need to follow him and hear what he's going to do. My father said the Earth Kingdom had a week to decide. I bet they've sent back a message telling him that they'll never release the 18th division, and now he doesn't know what to do. What I don't get is why they wouldn't release them in exchange for thousands of their own men's lives."

Lu Fo said, "Why he did it is the least of our problems. How in Roku's name are you going to get us into the city prison."

Iroh gulped and said, "If I knew myself, I'd tell you."The whole group groaned and began to plot together.

….

Jon Yi had been a pretty capable prison guard for eight years. He'd stopped three prison riots, gotten promoted twice, and managed to hold down a well-paying job. None of that had prepared him for Iroh.

Four kids confidently strode up to the prison door and tried to walk in. Jon Yi said, "Whoa, there. What do you think you're doing?"

Iroh looked outraged and said, "Don't you know who I am?" He didn't wait for Jon Yi to respond, but just said, "I'm Prince Iroh, heir to the throne. My father has asked me to watch him attend the prison inspection."

The guard immediately recognized Iroh after being told, but still looked suspicious. "Why are you bringing other children in with you, then?"

Iroh didn't miss a step, "Do you want me to tell my father that you held me up with a triviality, and defied his orders?"

Jon Yi, who knew men who had been fired and even banished by the Royal Family, stuttered and said, "Uh, um, of course not, sir. Do you need help finding your father? Shall I escort you?"

Iroh pretended to consider it. "Yes, I suppose you may."

"Right this way then, sir." Jon Yi noticed that as he led the four children through the prison they were very quiet. He had no way of knowing that they were holding in laughter.

After they had walked for a few minutes, and Jon Yi had flashed identification at the few guards who looked questionably at the children, Iroh could hear his father's voice. "That is far enough. Thank you for your assistance. You may return to your duties. Dismissed." Jon Yi bowed and hightailed it back to his post at the front door.

The others looked ready to burst from laughing, but Iroh held a finger to his lips. They slowly walked to the door of the room through which they could hear Azulon. Iroh put his eye against the crack. He whispered, "He's not inspecting anything he's just talking to the warden. But what is he-"

Ali quickly shushed him and said, "Listen!"

Azulon sat in a comfortable chair against the far wall of the room, and the warden stood at attention before him. "Sir, I must respectfully object. The Earth King has sent us messages through the Dai Li. He has repeatedly said that he ordered the soldiers in Garsai to release the 18th division, but they won't obey him. To punish the whole Earth Kingddom based on the actions of a few rebels, and not their leader, is unjust."

Unless it was Iroh's imagination, smoke actually came out of Azulon's nostrils at this. "How dare you object to my orders! I said that if the 18th division was not released, I would execute our prisoners, and I intend to follow through."

"Oh, yes sir, of course, I simply met that-"

"Oh , be quiet! I'm trying to think." Azulon looked up at the ceiling for a second and then said, "I will not kill all the war prisoners, but I must kill some. I will not make a threat and then back down, no matter the circumstances. I have decided. I will journey to the Boiling Rock early tomorrow, where the leaders of the war prisoners are kept, about 100 of them. I will execute them, and if the rebels still refuse to release the 18th division, why, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it."

The warden saluted and said, "Yes, Fire Lord. I will arrange for a ship to send you to the Boiling Rock tomorrow morning."

Azulon nodded and said, "Dismissed." The warden bowed and made to exit the room. Iroh stood frozen in shock at what he had just heard, but Lu Fo tugged at his sleeve.

Lu Fo hissed, "Run, Iroh, now!" Iroh came out of his stupor and the four friends ran out of the prison and back into the city streets, where they stood panting.

Everyone looked at Iroh. Iroh did not know why, until he realized they were afraid to speak out against Azulon in his presence. In fact, Iroh was not quite sure how he felt about what his father had done. On the one hand, his father was simply trying to rescue his own men. On the other hand, his father had acted hastily, making a dangerous threat, and now had to at least partially carry it out or look like a fool. Mako's word's echoed in his ears; I_ hope that when you become Fire Lord and rule our nation, you will wait and think before making hasty decisions, and treat your opponent with honor, just as you must do in Pai Sho._

Iroh loved and respected his father, but as Fire Lord, the man acted too hastily, and as a man who loved honor, he had too little respect for his opponents. Suddenly, he knew what he must do, but not how to do it.

Iroh said, "Let's get a drink." They nodded and went to a small café, where they all got ginseng tea.

They all slid into a booth, sipping their tea, and Iroh quietly said, "We need to stop him. Those prisoners don't deserve to die just because of some lunatics in Garsai."

The other three looked relieved. Han asked, "But how? We can't stop him from going to the Boiling Rock."

Lu Fo hesitantly said, "Um, uh, well. . ."

"Speak, Lu Fo," said Ali.

"If Iroh asked him not to kill the prisoners now, he'd probably say no, right?" Iroh nodded. Lu Fo continued, "But he won't want to make a scene, and he won't want to disgrace his son. Your family prides bravery and honor. If you asked him now, he'd push you aside. But if we went to the Boiling Rock, and we stood in front of the prisoners, saying it was dishonorable to kill them, then well, we'd have a shot."

Iroh said, "Brilliant plan! But you said "we". Only I should go. If you guys get caught, you'd be in serious trouble. If I get caught, I'd be punished sure, but not badly."

Lu Fo replied, "Well, I came up with the plan, I'm coming."

Ali said, "You know I'm coming.

Han said, "I wouldn't want to miss out on the chance to party with some battle-hardened criminals, now would I?"

Iroh grinned and said, "Alright. If you want to come with me listen very carefully, and memorize what I'm about to tell you. You need to follow the plan to every last detail." They nodded.

"Alright," said Iroh, "The first thing you need to do is. . ."

**Thanks a bunch for reading! Please review and continue to Chapter 6, which is a little bit different.**


	6. Chapter 6: Shades Of Indigo: Vignettes

Neutral Jing

Book One: Ember

Chapter 6: Shades Of Indigo: Vignettes

_The Tale of Iroh: The Fire Inside_

Iroh knew he should be excited and worried at the same time. Apprehensive, perhaps. But he just felt a sickened feeling in his gut. It wasn't worry. It wasn't fear. It was something far worse, something that ran deeper. Iroh couldn't name it, but he knew he had felt it before.

Iroh met his tutor, Mako, at the place where they usually practiced fire bending- a small, secluded glade in the palace grounds. The place was wet enough that it did not easily start an uncontrollable fire, but still provided ample fuel for a fight. Mako was sitting on a log, waiting for him.

Iroh bowed and said, "Shall we start, master?"

Mako nodded and said, "Assume a fighting position." Iroh went to the center of the glade and crouched slightly, with his hand held up diagonally in preparation to fight.

He was immediately glad that he did. Without any warning Mako let out a continuous stream of Fire. Iroh quickly jumped aside. Mako said, "Good. He who stands like a pillar in battle dies. He who bends like a reed survives. You would have made a good Airbender." Iroh responded by letting out short blasts of fire which Mako blocked with ease. "Pathetic," said Mako, "is that the best you can do?"

Mako lit the grass beneath Iroh on fire, causing him to splutter and gasp with the smoke that the wet plants released. He then charged, a fire fist ready to strike. Iroh, however, saw him coming and used a strong flame kick to push Mako off course. "Good use of neutral Jing. Face your opponents head on, my young Earthbender." He then sent out another long stream of fire at Iroh. Iroh, thinking quickly, decided to send it back at Mako instead of dodging it. Iroh deflected the fire away from himself, and tried to send it back at Mako. To his surprise, however, Mako had not let up the stream yet. It was still coming strong.

The pressure of keeping the flame deflected eventually made Iroh feel as if he was being crushed by several boulders. Unable to move out of the way, Iroh was forced to release his hold on the energy. After releasing it, he was able to jump out of the way, but not quickly enough. The force of the blast knocked him off his feet, and his arms were burned. He kneeled on the ground, panting heavily. Mako said, "Rise, prince."

Was he joking? Iroh felt like dying, but he rose anyway. "Why did you lose?" asked Mako.

_Because I'm weak. _"Because I couldn't control the amount of fire you were sending at me. I tried to harness it to my advantage, but it was too much."

"Could you have kept that fire stream going for as long as I did?"

_What did that have to do with anything? _"Um, probably not continuously. Why?"

"Iroh, I am about to tell you a secret of the bending arts. Are you ready?" Iroh nodded. "Long ago, people did not bend elements, but the energy within themselves. This was very powerful, but it had a grave weakness, which made it dangerous to use and eventually led to its disuse. If fighting an opponent more powerful than yourself, he could absorb all the energy you used against him and send it back at you, without expending any effort on his part at all. This is the key of Water Bending- harvesting the opponents efforts and turning them to your advantage. However, believe it or not, fire was the first element to be bended. Energy is very similar in nature to fire- they are both not solid and feel-able, but unlike Air bending, they store tremendous power even without being bended. Fire is just external energy. Energy is the fire inside."

Iroh asked, "What does this have to do with-" Then he realized it. "A more powerful enemy could absorb my fire and send it back at me."

Mako replied, "Not quite. You cannot absorb fire into your body like energy- fire is uncontrollable once you have taken it from air- it cannot live without it, and so your ability to control it dies as well. The only Fire Bender to be able to do this, besides the Avatar reincarnations, was Fire Lord Sozin. Even they struggled with it. Do not try it yourself. That is why fire benders can be burned. We can block fire before it reaches us, but once it surrounds us we surrender to its will. " Mako sent a fire blast at a log to illustrate this point. The wet log hissed and spluttered as the green wood, fought the flame, but eventually the wood dried, and the enemy of the fire became its fuel. "However, if you hold the energy outside your body, and use all your willpower to stop it growing, you can condense the fire into- no. A demonstration will do better than anything. Iroh, attack me."

After being burned and knocked on his ass by an old man, Iroh didn't need to be told twice. He let out a long chain of Fire Whips, Fire Balls, and Fire Blasts, sending out as much as he possibly could. When he had no more left in him, he looked up at Mako and his jaw dropped. The old man was standing there calmly, with a ball of deep red fire the size of a human head suspended in front of his chest.

"This ball is all the fire you just launched at me. Take it back." Mako sent the Fire Back at Iroh. Iroh could sense that, amazingly, Mako was not conjuring up new fire at all, just decompressing the ball. Iroh took the fire and tried to hold it in front of him while keeping it at a small size. As more and more fire was squeezed into a smaller space, the orange flame turned the red of a dying sun. Just as Iroh thought he could not control it any longer, the stream of fire stopped, and Iroh had a ball in his hands exactly like the one Mako had originally had. Mako inclined his head. Iroh sent the ball of fire into the forest surrounding the glade. To his surprise, it exploded as soon as he released his control of it, incinerating several trees.

"And that is both the greatest weakness and greatest strength of this technique. It is a strength because you can turn your opponents power against him, not only shielding yourself but hurting him. But it is also a weakness. As soon as you released your control of that fire ball, it exploded. If I had added more fire to the stream I sent at you, so much that you could not control it, it would have exploded in your face."

Iroh looked thoughtful and then said, "Master, why couldn't one just surround oneself with a ball of flame, with oneself at the center? Any attacks launched would be absorbed by the ball. Because the ball is being constantly pushed outward, wouldn't the explosion also be pushed away from oneself and into one's enemies?"

Mako's eyes suddenly looked wild and angry, "Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! The larger the surface area of a ball of flame, the farther it is away from the bender. The farther away from the bender, the more independence it has. Oh, aye, the explosion would not harm oneself. In fact, there would be no explosion. The fire would just collapse under its own weight, and the bender inside would be consumed like any man, along with the people nearby.. Iroh, you are the only person I have shared this technique with. Do not make my mistakes! Keep the flame small, and manageable. Dismissed."

"Master, I-"

"Dismissed."

So Iroh left his master sitting in the glade, sobbing uncontrollably. The skies were now turning shades of indigo with the mix of evening and night, so it was as good a time as any to go the rendezvous point to meet his friends. The events of the past few hours had left him a bit burned and tired, but basically unchanged. Iroh now knew the name for the feeling in his gut.

Shame. In his own case, it had to do with going against his father's will.

In Mako's case, Iroh was not yet sure, but Iroh had learned it's name from the look on Mako's face.

_The Tale of Ali and Han: Nitjang_

Ali and Han Ten were from a family that had fallen out of favor with the spirits. Or at least that's how the gossipers saw it.

For centuries, the Ten family had been some of the richest of nobility in the Fire Nation. At the height of their power, at the beginning of Sozin's reign, before the War, the Ten's wealth rivaled that of the Royal Family.

Then the War had come. The Ten family had donated everything they had to the war effort- their bodies included. The money and supplies were lost by being consumed. And so too, were their bodies, in a way. If you count decomposition as consummation.

No Ten to go fight in the war ever came back. No exceptions. Eventually, as their money and family members dwindled, they stopped sending supplies. Then funds. Finally, when news came that Ali and Han's older brother Nitjang had died in the war, the family resolved to never send another soldier. The family sold their luxurious manor, which they had been supporting by threads for decades now, and moved into a nice, but small, house in the eastern section of the Capital. They were still technically nobles, but were in reality middle classed. They were certainly well off enough, but certainly no longer rich.

Their parent's worked late, perhaps trying in vain to restore their old lifestyle. So, it wasn't very hard for Han to leave a note saying; **Ali and I are sleeping at Lu Fo's house. We'll be sleeping there tomorrow as well. We'll back the day after tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll just be hanging out.**

Of course, Han saying not to worry would make them worry, but they would expect that. As Han and Ali headed towards the rendezvous point to meet their friends, they looked up and saw the indigo of the sky.

It was a mix of hues, purples and blues and black and reds and greens. Han said, "The sky is like our lives right now."

Ali asked, "How so?"

"Nitjang died. We're not rich. Dad and Mom work so much I don't even see them." He punched the air with frustration, "I can't even bend! Lu Fo and Iroh can! I'm useless. Our whole family is useless."

"How is that like the sky?"

Han's voice deflated, "Both are all mixed up. Broken."

Ali punched her brother in the arm and said, "Well, I don't know what we can do about the sky, but I think what we're doing tomorrow-helping Iroh save those prisoners- might fix our lives. It'll certainly save other people's."

Han thought deeply for a second. "Did you bring a weapon?" he asked Ali.

"Just a dagger."

"Give me ten seconds," he said. He ran back into their house and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. A bow and quiver. It had scorch marks all over it, but was still functional and a beautiful weapon. "It's Nitjang's," he explained. Ali patted her brother on the back and together they walked under the indigo sky.

_The Tale Of Lu Fo: Sober Rage_

It was a Thursday night, so of course Lu Fo's father was drunk. That wasn't to unfairly single out Thursday, of course. Lu Fo's father was drunk most every day of the week. That also wasn't to unfairly single out nighttime, for Lu Fo's father was drunk most every hour of the day.

So it's probably better to say this; Lu Fo's father was breathing, so he was drunk.

Lu Fo and his father lived alone in a little shack on the edge of the city. Just far enough away that no one except the odd traveller could hear Father's drunken moans in the night.

Nothing ever came easily to Lu Fo. He had to struggle and fight. He had only become friends with Yan Rha and Han through sheer determination. He had not starved because he refused to give his father the satisfaction of having one less mouth to feed. Not that his father would be happy if he died. To the contrary, if Lu Fo wasn't there Father would probably just never leave his bed and die of muscle spasms. Lu Fo was the only reason that Father tried to work at all. Nothing had ever come easily to his Father either. His bakery had gone bankrupt a few months ago, so now he worked odd jobs.

But anyway, nothing ever came easily to Lu Fo. Getting out of the house without fighting his father would be no exception.

Lu Fo tried to just creep out of the house. His father was in a drunken, unaware state, so Lu Fo thought that perhaps he could just creep out of the room without him noticing.

"Where are you goin', boy? Gonna run off and leave me like your momma?"

"My mother died of an illness, Father." Lu Fo tried to keep his temper under control. After all, his father barely knew what he was saying.

"Sure, that's what she would have you believe. She died on purpose just to leave me. She was a lazy, good-for-nuthin tramp." He reached for another beer, but yowled when he touched it. It was burning hot, the very glass melting away. Lu Fo stood stockstill in the middle of the room. He began to hum to himself, and all the other beers in the cupboard began to melt. All of a sudden, he screamed, and all the beers exploded from the pressure of the heat.

"Son, son, I didn't mean it! I loved her! Calm down!" his father moaned. Lu Fo slowly calmed, and the glass cooled.

Lu Fo grabbed his bag and said, "I'm leaving. If I'm unlucky, I'll come back." He exited the house and walked to the harbor where Iroh had told him to go. He was the last one to arrive.

Iroh asked, "So, how was everyone's trip here?" They all looked at the ground, as did Iroh.

Iroh said, "Well, it could have been worse."

Han said, "Could have been worse."

Ali said, "Could have been worse."

Lu Fo said, "Let's just get on the ship." They all nodded.

Iroh said, "No one is on the ships right now. The sailors are in motels and the Captain's back in his manor. They'll be here early in the morning though to head to Boiling Rock. Once we get on the ship, there is one good place to hide- the storage closets. They're only large enough for two people, so it'll be Lu Fo and Han, and Ali and I."

Lu Fo gave a slight grin to Iroh and asked, "Why?"

Iroh blushed and said, "We need a Fire Bender in each group so we're not in the dark the whole time. Anyway, once the ship gets to the Boiling Rock, follow the plan I told you yesterday and we'll be alright. I've been to the Boiling Rock before. We'll be fine."

"Define fine," Lu Fo said. Han, Ali, and Iroh nervously giggled and headed into the ship, on their way to a prison, to do something that they weren't even sure was right, or even possible.

Outside, the shades of Indigo in the sky disappeared and turned to purest black.

….

_The Tale Of Mako_

_An Earth Kingdom battalion snuck up on old General Mako's division in the night. They surrounded the Fire Nation's camp with ditches too wide to jump across, filled with sharp stones that could skewer a man right down the middle. The Earthbenders began to slowly and systematically murder the sleepy, confused Fire Nation soldiers._

_ Mako, however, was wide awake. "Flee! Flee! I'll hold them off." Mako tried all kinds of maneuvers, but in the end there were too many Earth Nation soldiers to contend with. As a last resort, he surrounded his body in a shield of fire. As his pain and rage grew, so did the shield, until it was a ball the size of an Iceberg. The Fire Nation soldiers saw what their leader was doing and joyously contributed to the flames. The Earth Benders were terrified, as the rocks and boulders they were using to attack incinerated from the heat. They started to run. The ball of flame grew even in larger, hotter, and more pressurized until Mako finally could stand keeping the shield up no longer. He released the energy- incinerating the land around him. Miracously, he had managed to push most of the energy away, and while he was badly burnt, he would live. He was so ashamed of the event that he retired and became the royal tutor. Although he had a forced and unhappy end to his career, he lived._

_ All of the Earth Benders, and three quarters of Mako's own division, were not so lucky. Among the dead was Mako's second in command, a man he had been grooming to take his place as leader of the 15__th__ division. He was one of the youngest Colonel's in military history. His name was Colonel Nitjang._

**I hoped you enjoyed Chapter Six. It is by far the longest Chapter I have posted as of now. Please review! Tell me if you enjoyed this chapter's format.**


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